Hybrid Gas Mileage Ratings

While today’s hybrid gas mileage ratings may seem impressive when compared to the majority of conventional vehicles on the market, there’s still a long way to go. This unfulfilled dream is clearly evident when studying the historical chart of hybrid gas mileage. The earliest models of the Honda Insight set the bar remarkably high (regardless of the change in the EPA’s testing procedures implemented in 2007); so high that they remain to be equaled by a production vehicle today.

Viewing the statistics, it’s easy to understand how the Insight hybrid achieved those remarkable gas mileage results. Weighing in at under a ton, Honda’s little spaceship had a big head start, with a diminutive 1.0 liter three cylinder engine providing just enough oomph and efficiency to land the micro hybrid’s gas mileage in the stratosphere.

With the Insight put out to pasture after the 2006 model year, the Toyota Prius snatched the hybrid gas mileage crown, edging out the Honda Civic Hybrid.

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Toyota Yaris Gas Mileage

The sub-compact Toyota Yaris delivers very good gas mileage, an entry-level price, and a whole lot of personality. On the highway, the Yaris scores highway gas mileage figures in the mid-thirty mile per gallon (MPG) range, with a city rating of 29 MPG.

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Scion Gas Mileage

Toyota’s Scion packs a whole lot of style into some seriously small packages, with good gas mileage ratings, to boot. Scion’s best gas mileage is produced by the xD, with highway gas mileage estimates in the low thirty mile per gallon (MPG) range.

The snappy Scion xD five-door hatchback is fitted with a 1.8 liter DOHC four-cylinder engine that produces 128 horsepower (HP) and 125 foot pounds of torque. The 2008 xD’s gas mileage figures crack the magic 30 MPG highway mark: 27 city / 33 highway MPG when equipped with the five-speed manual and 26 city / 32 highway MPG when fitted with the four-speed automatic transmission.

We spent a week test driving a Scion xD this past summer and walked away with a favorable impression of the little critter. Check out our Scion xD Review:

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30 MPG Cars

Thirty miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway isn’t too much to ask. As the chart below shows, the 30 MPG car isn’t a rarity in America these days. Alas, it’s not nearly as common as it was 25 years ago. Looking back at the lists of high MPG cars built in the early 1980s might be a surprise to some, for the lists were long and the fuel efficiency ratings were high. The 30 MPG car was not an oddity back then … it was more part of our nation’s mindset.

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Toyota Tacoma Gas Mileage

The highly-popular Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was introduced in 1995 and redesigned for the 2005 model year. Solid gas mileage ratings are a proven factor in the Tacoma’s appeal. Currently the best-selling compact pickup truck in America, the 2WD Tacoma delivers as many as 25 miles per gallon on the highway when equipped with the 4-cylinder engine.

The 2009 Toyota Tacoma is available with two engines: a DOHC 2.7-liter 4-cylinder rated at 159 horsepower (HP) and a DOHC 4.0-liter V-6 rated at 236 HP. A diesel engine is not currently available in the Tacoma here in the States. It’s a different story overseas, where a torque-filled 3.0-liter DOHC turbo-diesel inline four can be found under the hood of the Toyota HiLux pickup. (Outside of the United States, the HiLux fills the Tacoma’s spot in Toyota’s lineup.)

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